vandervinne



. 2 Sheets Sheet't., Y J. VANDERVINNE. Excavator. No. 66,425. Patented July 2, 1867.

Sheet 2 Sheets Ptented July '2, V1867,

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F.1". VANDERVINNE.

i Excavator.

mwa@ es N. PETERS, PHOTO-UTKOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON) D. e

@uiten gisten' @anni @frn i FLORENT J. VANDERVINNE, or BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

Letters .Patent No. 66,425, dated July 2, 1867.

IMPBOVED EXGAVATOR OR DIGGING 'MAG'HINIEL @La .tlgrhulc ,rebirth tu in that lrtters zitiut smh making part nf ilgr samt.

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALLCOME:

Be it known that I, FLORENT JOSEPH VANDERVINNE, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have invented an improved Excavating or Digging Machine; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the principle or character which distinguishes it from all other things before known, and of the usual manner of making, modifying, and using the same. l i

This machine, which is intended to make trenches Aor cuttings in the' forming of railways, canals, and generally for the excavation of all kinds of open earthwork, and even for clearing uncultivated land to a great depth, is fixed on an iron frame or carriage, carried by three pairs of cylindrical wheels, or by three pairs of double wheels. All the mechanism is fixed on this frame, which is propelled at a speed of about one hundred and forty-one feet an hour. i

The frame or carriage: I will take, for example, a rectangular frame, about twenty-four feet long by six feet six inches wide. The axles support a second frame about twelve feet above this latter, by means of standards, connected by tie-pieces, and strongly fixed by iron angle-pieces. The front supports are inclined backwards, in consequence of the arrangement of the mattocks or picks.

about ten feet high and about three feet six inches apart, turninfr on their axes from the exterior towards the interior. Two chairs bolted on the frame support these shafts, their upper extremitiesv passing through and turning in the parts o f the ironV framework, forming the long sides of the upper frame, projecting past the inclined standards. Each shaft carries twenty-one forged-iron double mattocks or picks with steel points, keyed on so as to form a. screw, and in such a manner, that during the action of the mattocks, those on lone of the shafts pass in the corresponding spaces left between the mattocks of the other shaft. Motion is given by bevel gearing .wheels placed' above the frame, which wheels are drawn by a series of pulleys communicating with the motive shaft, the whole being proportioned so as to give to the mattockhafts a speed of about twelve turns per minute. The length of th mattoicks` diminishes progressively from the top to the bottom, so that the surface first out may be a trapeze about ten feet wide at its upper extremity, seven feet six inches at its lower extremity and about nine feet three inches high. The object of this arrangement is toform a slope to the trench or cutting, for fear of a'slip. The mattocks cut and detach the earth and throw it behind. A curved plate is placed at each side, so that the earth shall not beA thrown sideways. It is Vthen received introughs xed on an endless chain, articulated and moved by two hexagonal pulleys. These troughs turn it over on an endless chain, whence it if thrown into the carts for carrying it away, and which are situated, according to the requirements and arrangeJ ments of the places, behind or at the side ofthecarriage.

` For the transportation, of the machine, and not to injure the iron wheels, two axles are adapted to receive wheels of a larger diameter. The frame moves forward by means of a horizontal shaft, carrying three endless screws, placed so as to drive three gearing-wheels wedged on the axles. These endless screws make about six revolutions per minute, and as the gearing-wheels have twenty teeth, they make about one and a half turns in ve minutes, (thirty teeth.) The mattock-shafts make, as above described, twelve turns in the same time, and as each mattock has two points,- t is evident that the earth is struck forty times per minute at the same height. If the m'attocksl encounter stones no accident will result from it. Pieces of stones are at rst detached bythe steel ends of the picks, and inA a few seconds, in consequence of the repeated shocks, the stones will be detached and roll in the troughs, following the direction of the screw. The arrangement of the picks Varound the shafts oers this advantage, odelz'cet, that a constant number ofthe picks cuts the earth at one time without intermittence, and that the machine insinuates itself insensibly in the cutting without apparent eort and without su den shock, ,thus renderlng it very advantageous for the application of steam power in any kind of earthwork. The motive steam engine is situated at the back ot the frame, together with its boiler and its reservoir fortheiwater necessary for its daily work* It should be often to twelve horse-power, and turns 'a main shaft placed perpendicularly to the direction of the line of Work. The `whole arrangement is a combination of mechanical parts, so connected as to Work the mattock-shnfts forming thepscrew. The machine moves forward by' means of the double wheels on which it` rests. These wheels are divided into four parts, two solid and two hollow, for

movable rails, each advancing by means of the mechanism. `."`The six wheels always run on tirol-nils, and the t one foot eight in-ches in front. These movable rails serve to support the carriage rricge draws its rails by its mechanism.

Description of the Drawings. nud Figure 2, Sheet 2, a' side elevation of my improvedexcavating or digging two others advance abou without sinking, as the ce Figure 1,'Shect 1, is a plan;

machine.

No. 1, frame oi-carriage; No. 2, loco'ineble: No. 3, supports of the nmttocli-shafts J; No. 4, iron anglepieces, bolted to the upriglits of the frame.

A, pulleys vplaced on the shnft ci" the locomolrile; B, shni't on which is placed the drum K, which moves the trough chain; C, pulley pluced .on the shaft B, and driving the trough chain; D, pulley placed onthe shaft D, and driven by the pulley F; G H, bevel-gearing, driving the \'erticzrlsh:1ft.s J, on which the picks L are placed; b1, trough chain; N O, pulley driving the shaft P on which the serewQ is placed; R, geari'ng driving the shaft S, on which nre xcd the endless screws U, acting on the gearing V, fixed on the axles of the wheels T of the carriage; X, axles of the wheels T; Z, shaft of the pulley F.

What I claim, is 1. The general arrangement and cons described and represented in Ithe accompanying drawings 2. The peculiar arrangement and construction oi' the picks, in combination with thc endless chain, carrying the troughs and mechanism for working the same, ns hercinbefore described and represented in the' laccomtruction of nn excavating `or digging machine, as hereinbefore pnnyiug drawings.

InVV testimony lwhereof I have h thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.

creto set my hand and effi-xed my seal this 31st day of December, one

FL. 'J. VANDERVINNE.

Witnesses:

P. J. MAYNE, E. BONNET. 

